1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to carrier frames attached to vehicles used to transport equipment, typically sports equipment, and more specifically to a coupling formed between a carrier frame support tube and a hitch mount that includes a latching mechanism to releasably connect the support tube to the hitch mount.
2. Background Art
Attachment of a carrier frame behind a vehicle to transport equipment, especially sports equipment such as bicycles, is well known. A problem associated with such load carriers is the time involved in properly positioning the normally upright support tube with respect to the balance of the load carrier. The support tube must be designed to accommodate its being configured between a traveling upright configuration and what is usually a tilted configuration in which the support tube is pivoted away from the carrying vehicle to facilitate an operator""s access to such parts of the vehicle as the trunk or tail gate of a truck or sport utility vehicle. To accomplish these objectives, most modern rear mount sports equipment load carriers have a number of interconnected modular parts which may be bolted securely together; but when these parts are not secured, they are capable of movement, especially tilting movement, relative to one another. This is especially obvious in hitch mount load carriers in which a primary component is a substantially horizontally oriented extension piece and the tilting upright support is journalled thereto. This method, while effective for producing securable, but moveable connections between the components, typically involves the use of several loose nuts and bolts and may require a similar number of wrenches of varying size for their being tightened and loosened. As a result, operation of such load carriers can become a lesson in dexterity to the operator when trying to correctly align and secure such releasably securable components of the carrier.
As intimated above, the connection of a sports equipment load carrier to a transporting vehicle will usually restrict access to vehicle storage compartments such as the trunk or boot or a tailgated area such as the bed of a pickup truck or sport utility vehicle. For example, a common position for a load carrier frame is at the rear of the automobile connected to a hitch receiver. This arrangement makes access to the trunk difficult, particularly when equipment such as a bicycle has been attached upon the carrier. The need for access to such a storage compartment may occur during a selected break in a journey, or as the result of an emergency. At such times, the removal of sports equipment and possibly portions of the carrier frame will consume a significant amount of time. Provision for temporarily moving the frame and equipment to a non-blocking position markedly reduces the amount of time devoted to obtaining access.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of known designs for load carriers, and especially those configured as sport equipment carriers for hitch mounting, the present invention has been developed to alleviate the above described drawbacks and provides further benefits to the user which will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant arts. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention in its several disclosed embodiments alleviates the drawbacks described above with respect to conventionally designed hitch mount load carriers and incorporates several additionally beneficial features incident thereto. Of particular value is the ease and speed with which the normally upright support tube of the load carrier may be securely coupled to the horizontal connection bar or mounting stinger designed to be releasably inserted into a receiving-type hitch mount on a transporting vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, an ancillary portion of the load carrier is provided in the form of a second upright extension that is fixed in a substantially upright orientation and is positioned adjacent to the pivotable upright support when that support is in its upright configuration. Releasable connection between the upright support and adjacent extension is accommodated for releasably securing the upright support in an upright orientation. As illustrated, formation of the coupling utilizes a lock pin that is attached to the upright support tube and fits into a slot that is formed in upright extension of the hitch mount. The pin may be releasably retained therein using a lockable and releasable latch that is also located upon the upright extension and configured to pivotally between capture and release configurations with respect to the lock pin. The capture configuration corresponds to a closed position of the latch and the release configuration corresponds to a closed position of the latch. In operation, the locking latch provides freedom for the lock pin to enter or release from the slot in the upright extension portion of the hitch mount to facilitate coupling and uncoupling the support tube. The support tube is hinged to the mounting stinger so that, even when sports equipment is supported upon the load carrier frame, the upright extension post and the support tube may be separated from each other thereby accommodating operator access to otherwise blocked portions of vehicle such as the trunk or tailgate. After engaging the support tube with the upright extension of the hitch mount and moving the locking latch to the closed position, the lock pin is urged up into the closed end of the slot and is held snugly therein by the clamping action of a cammed surface of the latch which pivots on an axis that is transversely alignment relative to the slot.
In at least one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a coupling for attaching and controlling an upright support to a mounting stinger having a portion that is received in a hitch receiver mounted upon a transporting vehicle. The coupling includes an upright post having at least one, and preferably two sidewalls that extend therefrom. The sidewall has a slot formed therein extending into the sidewall so that an open end of the slot is established at the edge. The base portion of the upright extension post is securely held to the substantially horizontal mounting stinger that connects to the transporting vehicle. An upright support tube is provided that has a bracket attached thereto. The bracket includes a lock pin configured to slidingly engage into the slot in the sidewall(s) for the purpose of releasably coupling the support tube to the upright extension tube of the hitch mount. A latch is pivotally mounted on the upright extension post and has an open position for allowing the lock pin to enter the open end of the slot at the edge of the sidewall and a closed position for preventing release of the lock pin from the slot. An operator releasable coupling is thereby accommodated between the substantially stationary portions of the hitch mount which are secured upon the transporting vehicle and the pivotally attached support tube that has the lock pin incorporated thereupon for engagement within the slot for capture by the latch when in the closed position.
The beneficial effects described above apply generally to the exemplary devices and mechanisms disclosed herein of the latching hitch mount carrier of the invention. The specific structures through which these benefits are delivered will described in detail hereinbelow.